Elves
ELVES. NOT LOTR F-ELVES. LILY ELVES! NOTE TO NOT FORGET; Atm all the information is for the Elves up the north, under the iron mountain. However, the southern elves aren't completely the same and have a different culture and this wiki will no longer work for them the moment I write them. But that's not a concern for now. Description Physiology Society and Culture Society The elves of the -name tribe- are very prude. They have grown to hate their skin and wish to hide it all away underneath dark colors and thick layers of fur, thanks to their history and shame. They go the extra length to conceal their faces behind white masks (See masks) just to avoid their facial features. Therefore names, voices, and eyes have turned into important features, as these were the way to know someone. Eating openly has turned into a taboo and instead, each house occupies an inbuilt room where an elf will take off their mask and eat. (It’s like a bathroom. But for eating. And yes, they have a bathroom as well). Offering an elf food is seen as offensive and rude, no matter how well their intentions. Elves avoid bodily contact unless they dare to reveal their body to their loved ones; something seen as a very glorious and valued moment. Children are seen as an exception until they’ve grown old enough to wear their own mask. From that point on they are seen as an adult who needs to stand on their own need and can’t depend on affection and care of their family. However; it has happened before where a mother or father couldn’t let go of their child. Elves are given jobs and tasks to complement what they are guessed to be good at. Strong elves are often placed as warriors, front-line hunters, blacksmiths or lifters. The weaker elves are used for nursing, backline hunting, sewing or collecting food from the woods. However, the tribe has been biased to their belief of males being stronger than females; meaning a female elf will never be at the front line unless she can prove herself. Border The border is more of a mental border than an exactly stone wall. It separates the elves from the outside world and gives them a feeling of safety and comfort. The border is made by thousands of footsteps who tremple into the soil, forging a path as time went by. It’s the patrol elves who guard said border and forged the path. These guarding elves are a mixture of actual guards trained to fight, and elves who are there to give mental support to the elves who wish to leave. Nobody is allowed to leave without the permission of the Veiled court (see hierarchy). Those who do are treated as exiles (see exiling). Hunters are allowed to leave the border for a limited amount of time when their prey has crossed the border or when the lands grow empty. However; those hunters have to inform one of the guards about their leaving, and if they fail to return they are exiled. Exile Those who have left the border willingly are declared as exile by the Veiled court (see hierarchy). However, realizing the outside world is far too harsh and judgmental, they allow the elf to remain in solitude. As result, nobody in the tribe, including the family, is allowed to speak or be seen with an exile for they will be punished in return. They wander the streets and eat what they can collect from the woods or the leftover of other people. Only the Veiled court can clear their name, but none try for they know how though strict the Veiled court is. Masks The masks of the elves hold large value for their culture. They cover the entire face and show only the eyes and have either open nostrils or “breathing slices” around the mouth. The masks are often decorated in the most beautiful designs, golden details such as leaves, thorns and curls and subtle facial features, such as engraved eyebrows, lip details etc. This is done to keep some of the humanity and preserve their sense of pride. Creation As soon as a child has reached the age of fifteen, which is the age where their facial features slowly stop developing any further, the Ritual of Mask begins. The progress starts with a mold of the face, which is created by a softened clay, applied directly onto the face. The mold is removed and more clay is added to build the shape of a skull in reverse. Once the mold is completed a thin layer of wax is added. Ontop of the wax they pour a watered down ceramic, which is then placed in a stone oven to harden the ceramic and melt the wax. Once the ceramic is hardened the clay mold is removed, leaving behind the ceramic head. This means there’s a head-mold of every single elf in the community. Ontop of the mold they begin to sculpt the actual mask, with a mixture of ceramic and powdered nacre powder. The nacre powder allowed for the mask to cure with a white and almost reflective look to it. Between the sculpt of the mask and the head mold, a thin layer of wax is applied to separate the two layers once finished. Once the mask is sculpted it goes back into the stone oven, until hardened. Final touches such as engravings, smoothing and golden details were added once the mask had cooled down. Hunting and Diet NOTES: I was thinking of having actual hunters who are into archery and traps who are looser and enjoying their time in the wilderness, and a more heavy frontline which are people from the military, who give safety with a sword and shield since we have some wild animals that are legit dangerous and they are strict. thus the two clash. Traditions : ''Ritual of life '' TLDR: Elves get around a pregnant elf, showering her in some white flowers that area has and sing in their own language, praying to the Goddess of birth to let the child be healthy and pure. The pregnant elf is wearing all white (as a rare exception) and during her 9(?) months, the entire tribe reads her with the highest level of respect. : ''Ritual of passing '' TLDR: When an elf gets too corrupted and almost turns into a husk, they are laid onto the ritual ground. Elves wear their fancier (black) clothing and surround the ritual ground. They all begin to sing and pray to (I do not have any god list open atm but I’m sure a god about death who isn’t the Goddess of the underworld exists) for their souls to find peace. When the song is finished, the loved one of the passing elf is holding their body and a ritual knife and proceeds by stabbing their heart with said blade. When finished, their body is frozen for three days as mummification before letting their body drift into one of the rivers/waters. (Think about a Viking thingy). : ''Ritual of Mask '' TLDR: When an elf reaches the age of fifteen they are deemed old enough to engage in the ritual. The ritual of Mask is one of the more excluded rituals, where only the family and the creator of the mask aid the child. A song in elvish, citing their past and the pride of the elves as a reminder to the child why they must carry this burden, is sung by the family as the clay is applied to the skin. Once the song is finished the family begins to repeat several prayers to the Goddess Thera. This prayer wishes Thera to give the child great prosperity, happiness and luck, as from that point on they are seen as an adult who needs to stand on their own. The child is involved with the sculpting process of the mask, telling their preferences for what they wish to be decorated or to be left alone. Throughout the sculpting sessions, the child is to be expected to sit beside the mask-creator and aid them, take care of their needs such as food and give them company through singing and talking. These couple of days forge a strong bond between the mask-creator and child which is preferred, as a close bond would aid the end result of the mask. After the child is finished the child has to kneel down in front of their parents whilst the entire family and mask-creator circle the child. The father, if alive, attaches the mask onto the face of the child and whispers one last prayer. When the ritual is over the child is deemed to be an adult and will be forced into the lifestyle of such, including finding a proper job/task. Hierarchy and Government The veiled court The veiled court is a Patriarchy Timocracy, meaning only male property owners — of great wealth — may participate in government. They hold a court where votes are passed to decide the rules, fates of their pale, punishment and the like. Due to the court being ruled by elves of great wealth and elves who have suffered a great deal, they are often biased and wish to keep their culture strict and controlled. This lead to the timocracy often looking more like a plutocracy. The court has a leading head, being the wealthiest elf of them all. He leads the arguments and has a final vote. When the leading head is suffering greatly in wealth, they will elect a new leading head based on their wealth. This election is done outside of the tribe and kept strictly hidden. While the elves are being led by wealthy and often cruel elves, the numbers are too low for an elf to suffer. Most elves live decently wealthy, which is a result of the role distribution the veiled court had been given to their people. With the view of genders within the tribe, men are thought to be most fit to lead and are therefore chosen as a court member, instead of wealthy or even wise women.